Legacy
by BrittT
Summary: Ever wondered what happened to Reneesme and Jacob after Breaking Dawn ended? Fast forward a few years - the infant is now a 17-year-old trying to balance her unusual life with the outside world, with both her human and vampire sides making it difficult.
1. Chapter 1: At the break of dawn

_**The characters, of course, belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just taking them out for a spin.**_

Dawn broke over the trees and shone through the window, awaking me from my slumber. I leisurely stretched and yawned, remembering with a grimace what day it was. First day of Senior Year. Damn and blast.

I heard my mother's musical laughter echo off the stone walls, coming from the general direction of the living room. I envied my parents, sometimes, in that they never had to sleep. They could stay up and talk or read or…whatever parents do when children go to sleep. Since I was only half-vampire, my human side needed nightly recharging. Sometimes I warred with insomnia, as one side fought against the other's need for rest. Story of my life, that.

I was thankful that I would at least be alone today, without my usual escort. Jacob was back at La Push, taking care of "things", he said. Jacob's father had recently passed away, and he had affairs to attend to. He nearly killed him for us to be apart, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. I was going to have enough issues starting a new school on my own, besides having to explain why a large, nearly 7-foot man was shadowing me. Jacob had always struggled while I was in school, trying to balance his need to be near me with the reality that he couldn't actually be in school _with_ me. Even now, while I was close in age to him (at least, physically if not in reality), he still looked too old for high school.

I didn't know how long he'd be gone, but it would be for several days. I cared for him so, but I was getting a bit sick of the consistent togetherness. A break would be good.

I arose and padded into the hall, toward the living room. A forced a loud yawn to alert my parents of my arrival. I learned long ago to do that. Even with my father's gift, sometimes he was…distracted.

My mother was curled up on my father's lap, smiling broadly at him. He, as usual, looked at her with utter adoration. They turned simultaneously at my approach.

"Good morning, Nessie," my father said to me. I saw my mother make a face. How she hated that nickname. Jacob gave it to me shortly after I was born, and the name stuck, much to my mother's chagrin.

"Morning," I replied. I padded over to the chair across from the sofa and sat down.

"Would you like some breakfast?" my mother asked, rising from my father's lap. I pretended not to notice him give her a quick squeeze as she rose.

"Yes, please."

She glided gracefully into the kitchen. My father's attention turned to me.

"So, Reneesmee," he asked, "Are you ready for your new school?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"That's good. It won't be so bad. Just tedious, if my experience is any indication. Had I not met your mother, I would have gone mad."

"Yes, so you've told me." Like, a hundred times, Dad.

"Told you what?" asked my mother as she returned, with a tall glass mug, a slight wisp of steam rising from the contents.

"Had I not met you, I'd have gone mad with boredom," my father said, his eyes twinkling. My mother handed me my breakfast and went back to sit with my father on the sofa. She sat next to him this time, causing my father to turn towards her, arms open. She leaned back into his waiting arms, snuggling against his granite frame.

I concentrated on my meal, both to avoid the scene and to enjoy the warmth emanating from the mug into my hands. I tentatively took a sip of the thick, warm blood to test its temperature, then began drinking it in more heartily. I closed my eyes and smiled as I felt the warm liquid go down.

"Mountain lion, my favorite," I sighed. My father chuckled.

"Yes, you were always like your father in that way," sighed my mother. "He went hunting for some last night just for you to have on your special day."

I hated hunting. I couldn't quite get over my human aversion to drinking lustily from an animal's neck. However, human food didn't really appeal to me all that much. There were few things that I liked, such as a rare steak and a good baked potato, but primarily I needed blood to survive. So, my parents would collect some when they hunted. I didn't know how they did it, and I really didn't ask, since I had no intention of ever doing it myself. I just opened the refrigerator whenever I was thirsty, and it was always well-stocked. My family always attended to my needs, whatever they were.

Only this time, someone else's needs superseded mine for once. Namely, my Grandpa Charlie's. Since his best friend Billy, Jacob's father, had died, he hadn't been doing too well. My Aunt Alice had seen him in such a despondent state in one of her visions that my mother demanded that we return to Forks. She needed to be near him, to care for him if he needed her.

My father wanted to originally stay with the family in Canada, but my mother argued that, not only could she see Charlie, but it would allow Jacob not to have to be too far from the reservation. Since Aunt Alice couldn't see the wolves, she didn't know what would happen if he stayed with us or if he returned home. He was already torn about having to leave me, but my mother said that if we were nearby, he could attend to what he needed to and not be too far from me. Killing two birds with one stone, she said.

My father, never having been able to deny her anything, acquiesced, and so here we are. The rest of the family stayed behind, promising to visit once we were settled. We moved back into the stone cottage we first lived in when I was born. My mother said the main house was too cold without everyone there. The cottage was cozier for our needs. Frankly, I could have used a little more space between us, some nights especially.

I took another sip of my breakfast, trying to draw strength from it. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2: Escort

_**The characters, of course, belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them.**_

I left my parents and started to get ready. When I entered my room, I sighed in exasperation. It was a disaster. I had played dress up last night, trying to decide what to wear. Aunt Alice always bought me incredible clothes, but said that I inherited my mother's fashion sense. She tried to make it easy for me to put outfits together by hanging them up with little notes attached: "This blouse goes best with the green cords," or "You can wear this skirt with the peasant blouse or the blue satin button-down." I almost resented it, but I knew she was only trying to help. Plus, she _did_ have impeccable taste. I had to give her that.

I decided on a green oxford shirt with medium blue jeans. The green highlighted my eyes and offset my red hair. Casual, understated. Aunt Alice wouldn't approve…but she isn't here. Besides, nothing makes you stick out like a sore thumb in a new school like wearing French couture on your first day.

I toyed with my curls in front of the mirror, trying to get them to behave after sleeping on them. Another benefit of no sleep – lack of bed head.

I slug my messenger bag over my shoulder and grabbed a jacket on my way out of my room. Might was well get this over with.

Mom and Dad wished me luck as I left. I noticed my mother's concerned look, but she said nothing. She tended to worry about everything. She would live forever, but she sometimes acted like it would all disappear in a snap. My father would always try to reassure her, but something always nagged at her. She wouldn't tell me what it was, though. When I would ask Aunt Rose or my grandmother, Esme, they would quickly brush it off as it just being "Bella". I had a feeling, though, that there something they weren't telling me.

The gravel crunched under my feet as I made my way to the car. As I reached for my remote to unlock the car, I heard a rustling in the brush. I stiffened, allowing my senses to take everything in.

Vampires have heightened senses – keen eyesight, excellent hearing, quick reflexes. I had them as well – but not as powerful. Better than the average human, but my family could always sense things faster than I. It didn't really bother me, as I didn't hunt, so it wasn't really necessary. Except for times like right now.

I took a deep breath as a slight breeze wafted through the air. That's when I smelled it.

The smell of wet dog.

Wet dog with a hint of spice….Old Spice, actually.

"C'mon out, Seth, I know you're here," I called.

The rustling noise got louder to my right. I turned, and there was Seth, long and lean as usual, padding up the driveway towards me. Once he was only a few feet from me, he sat on his haunches, whimpering in greeting. Jake must've sent him.

"Good morning. What's the matter? Jake didn't think I could get to school on my own?"

Seth raked his paw across the ground once. _Yes._ Jake was worse than a big brother sometimes. I sighed in exasperation.

"Tell him I will be fine. No need for you to hang outside the fence all day. Go home, Seth."

Seth raked his paw twice. _No. _

I let a low growl escape my throat. Instantly, my father appeared.

"Morning, Seth."

Seth again whimpered a greeting, looking at my father intently. I knew that he was trying to tell him something.

"Seth says that he's not to let you out of his sight until you get back home," my father relayed to me. "He says Jake was explicit in that."

I wondered if any other teenager had this much "protection" on _their_ first day of school. I mean, seriously, we were in _Forks_. The biggest thing that might happen is that I'll forget my locker combination.

"Fine," I growled. "It's your time to waste, I guess."

_Beep-beep_, my car said as I turned toward it, punching the "unlock" button. I threw my bag in the passenger seat and slammed the door.

My father tapped on my window. I started the car and rolled the window down.

"He means well, Nessie," he said.

"I know, Dad. Honestly, it makes me nervous, knowing that a pair of black eyes is watching my every move." I had this vision of some random guy hitting on me, then getting tackled by a wolf flying through the air.

"You should feel special that so many watch out for your well-being. Not every girl gets a wolf escort to school."

"Brilliant. Maybe tomorrow I'll remember to pack a Milk-Bone."

My father glowered at my joke.

"Nessie, I won't have you disrespecting the wolves. They have done much for us."

"Dad, I wasn't disrespecting them. Lighten up a bit, will ya? It was just a joke. I'm going to be late."

My father stepped back, allowing me to leave. I swear I heard him chuckle as I pounded my foot to the floor, sending gravel spraying behind me.


	3. Chapter 3: On the Road

_**The characters, of course, belong to Stephenie Meyer. I apologize as I do not have a copy of BD yet for reference. If any of my details are erroneous, please let me know. Thanks.**_

I loved driving. Another way that I took after my father, I suppose. The scenery flashing by at an ungodly speed, the feel of the road underneath me, my hand reflexively gripping the shifter, even though it was an automatic.

The speed was exhilarating. It definitely helped that my grandfather was the chief of police. I was able to talk my way out of any ticket.

It also helped me to think. I was nervous about today, but excited at the same time.

My school history was scattered at best. At first, my family wanted to keep me home and out of sight – and under their protective glare. Well, everyone but my father. He insisted that I have as many human experiences as possible, no matter how mundane. He didn't know how I would choose to live, or what side of me would be more dominant. He wanted me to be prepared.

My mother, on the other hand, said that I could certainly miss school. From what she could remember of her human life, it wasn't an experience she wished on anyone else.

The other complication was my growth rate. I started out growing at an alarming rate. I went from baby to toddler in a matter of months. I continued to grow that way for the first year.

We moved from Forks as to not raise any suspicions. The entire town knew my parents as newlyweds who were not long out of high school. Of course, my father was actually 100 and my mother was 18 going on 30, but only a select few knew that. Their ages they could explain away. Their suddenly having a four-year-old daughter? Not so much.

It did not good to pass me off as adopted, either. I was the perfect blend of both of them. I had my mother's translucent skin and fine features. I had my father's brilliant green eyes (at least, that's what I was told) and many of his expressions. He would laugh when my mother would exasperate about how much I favored his tastes in books, music, and, of course, the driving.

The only part of me that really my own was my deep auburn curls, which framed my face delicately and fell to just past my shoulders. It was one of my hybrid features, as it had elements of my mother's beautiful chestnut tresses and my father's bronze hair. My skin didn't sparkle in the sunlight like my father's did. I had a faint glow, but nothing to draw attention to my strange appearance. Aunt Rose would complain about how I could go into the sun unnoticed, when she would be trapped at home on a sunny day. She loved the spotlight on her, from wherever it shown from. To be denied it was, well, torturous.

In my second year, my growing slowed slightly. My mother came up with the idea that we could explain to anyone who noticed that I suffered from a condition that caused my body to grow at a slightly accelerated rate. My grandfather, Carlisle, was a doctor, after all. Handy, that. He could easily cover the lie with placebos, as to "medicate" my condition, or notes to excuse me from school if I suddenly grew overnight and no longer fit my clothes. Aunt Alice had a ball, going clothing shopping for me so often. I was her own living doll.

Once anyone grew suspicious, we would move. My family was adapt and packing and moving quickly. It took my mother some getting used to, though. She wanted to set down roots, have a traditional home for the three of us. In reality, she knew that wasn't possible, but she still longed for it. She always wanted to return to the place that she first met my father and to their little stone cottage. She once told me that, although she started out hating Forks, it was the only place that felt like home now. The one good thing about Grandpa Charlie's mood was that she had an excuse to come home.

Fortunately, in the last year or so, my growing slowed to a crawl. Grandfather Carlisle thought that it was because I was nearing adulthood, and would soon reach the physical age that I would stay. That made my mother happy, knowing that I would stay young. My father knew all too well how hard it was to continually pass for seventeen, and hoped that I would age a bit more. This allowed us to more safely return to stay long-term. I hadn't stayed anywhere "long-term". I was wondering what it would be like.

There was a deep part of me that wanted to be normal. I loved my family dearly, but my existence as I was made everything so difficult for them, it seemed to me. Maybe it would have been better had been one or the other, and not both. I always wondered that, if I had to choose, which life would I live? I wanted to know how my mother was so sure of her choice, having been the most recent one to have lived both lives. She was always happy in what she could do now, but sometimes I would sense her longing to be able to see her mother in Florida. The abundance of sunlight there made it impossible. Grandma Renee had made the trip here a few times, but could never understand why Mom would never visit her. She thought it had to do with Phil. My mother let her think it, not knowing how to explain it any other way.

All too soon, I turned into the driveway into Forks High School. Instantly I felt uneasy as I pulled my car into the nearest available space.

I exited the car, hearing the whistles as the men stared at my car. My mother didn't speak _Car and Driver_, but my father did – fluently. He wanted me to have a safe car, I wanted something fun. When we landed in Seattle, we stopped off at the dealer to pick up a car. I fell in love with a Volvo C70 convertible on the lot, Magic Blue Metallic exterior with a black leather interior. The salesman at first was rude to the three kids he saw ogling his car; however, money talks, and my father wrote a check without a second glance. Once the salesman picked his jaw up off the floor, we were soon on our way.

My mother thought that highly impractical for Forks' weather, but I didn't care. In reality, she wasn't surprised by my choice – since I took after the other "stupid, shiny Volvo driver" in our family.

I looked at the ominous building before me, taking one last deep breath of the brisk air before going in. I hoped Seth found a comfortable spot.


	4. Chapter 4: First Day

_**Note: Thanks for the feedback! Keep it coming! Also, thanks for correcting Nessie's eye color. I did update the chapter, but it doesn't seem to be taking…Hmm…**_

_**The characters, of course, belong to Stephenie Meyer. Well, most of them do.**_

I stepped through the large double doors of the school, immediately hit by its smell. A mixture of rusted metal, old sweat socks, musty wood, and…good grief, what _did_ they clean this place with? The floors smelled of pasty vomit. There were times that I wish my senses weren't so heightened. This was definitely one of those times.

I entered through the office doors, seeing an older woman behind the counter, sorting through papers. That must be Mrs. Cope – my parents had described her in detail. My father chuckled in his recollection of how powerful of an effect he had on her. I hoped to see it for myself someday. He made it sound like she was completely in love with him.

She didn't notice me enter at first. I walked to the counter and cleared my throat to catch her attention. Instantly, her head snapped up.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. When she trained her full gaze on me, I heard her breath suck inward. She didn't seem to exhale.

"Hi. I'm Ness – er, Reneesme Cullen. I was told to check in here."

"Yes, of course," she sighed. She scrutinized me for another moment, then looked in her papers for my registration card. She read the card and looked at me again incredulously.

"You're…_Edward_ Cullen's daughter?" she asked, slightly bewildered. My father would be amused when I told him about the look on her face.

"Yes," I replied, hoping she wouldn't press for more information.

"How….is that possible?" She seemed to talking to herself more than to me.

I just stood there for a moment. When it was clear she wasn't going to continue, I pressed on.

"Do you have my schedule ready? I'd really hate to be late on my first day," I sang sweetly.

She shook herself out of whatever state she was in. "Yes." She reached into another pile. "Here you are, dear."

I took the paper from her. "Thanks." I wanted to ask her for directions, but something told me that she wouldn't be much help right now. That stricken look stayed on her face.

I smiled at her and turned, leaving the office. I sighed. This might be harder than I thought.

My locker assignment was stapled to the back of the schedule. I followed the hallway, searching the numbers on the doors lining the walls.

Upon finding the correct door, I fumbled with the combination and finally sprung the lock free. I quickly stowed my messenger bag, grabbing a pen and shoving it hastily into my pocket.

As I turned to make my way to my first class, I saw a girl walking toward me. At least, I think she was a girl. She kept her head down, a black hoodie pulled down over it, allowing just a glimpse of sandy brown hair. She wore a backpack over one shoulder and hurried along the corridor, taking the first turn to her right and shuffling down the hallway. I wondered what her deal was.

I followed her down the same hallway. I noticed that she never seem to look up or loosen her hunched-over posture. She disappeared through a wood-framed doorway. My first class was across the hall.

I entered a brightly lit room littered with old tablet style desks. I was one of the last to enter. The subtle buzzing of the students seemed to stop suddenly as 20 pairs of eyes turned to me. Had I been able to blush, I imagined that I would be as red as a beet.

I took the first open desk and sat down, feeling those eyes now boring into the back of my head. I was right. It was going to be a _long_ day.

A middle aged man entered the room with a worn leather satchel, which he sat on the table at the front of the room. He made a sweep across the room, his mouth moving as if he were counting. When his head swiveled in my direction, he stopped, his eyes widening. He quickly looked down at his bag and pulled some papers from the outside pocket. He pulled out a light blue paper. His eyes lifted to me.

"Uh…" he began, looking down at the blue paper again. "Rena…Reneesie….uh…"

"_Rah-nez-meh, _" I offered. He continued to look confused. "Nessie."

"Uh, right. Welcome to Forks High, Ms. Cull – er, _Nessie_. I'm Mr. Brown. Welcome to English."

********************************

The rest of my day continued much the same way. Finally, it was lunchtime. Instead of heading to the crowded cafeteria, I made my way outside to a small courtyard with a picnic table. The rain, which had been misting when I arrived this morning, stopped, the sun now attempting to peek through the remaining clouds. I sat on the table and planted my feet on the bench, plopping my bag beside me. This seemed like a good spot to observe my new surroundings without finding myself crushed in the throngs of other hungry students.

I removed a stainless steel thermos from my bag and unscrewed the cup, then popped open the flip-lid and sipped my meal. I wrinkled my nose at the lukewarm blood as it ran over my tongue. I much preferred it warm, but I couldn't have exactly asked someone to zap my mountain lion blood in the school's microwave. I'm sure it would have been considered a bio-hazard of some kind.

The crisp breeze felt good against my face. I welcomed the fresh air into my lungs, trying to clear them of the awful smell of the school building. Couldn't I just take classes outside? I might think better without all the pasty vomit smell.

I scanned the lines of students crossing the courtyard between the school buildings. A sea of bouncing heads and multi-colored bags going to and fro. Everyone looked the same to me for the most part, just different colors.

I began to notice a few turning and whispering to each other while looking in my direction. I tried to not let it bother me. Even though I looked more "human-like" then the rest of my family, I still didn't look quite right to most _normal_ people. Something about me told them to stay away from me, though I don't know why. I assumed it was my vampire traits, though I'd never considered hunting people, never been thirsty for them. I'd listened to my Uncle Jasper's stories of tangles with the newborns after he was created and shuddered at the thought of them. I imagined the terror of their victims. I never wanted to inflict that kind of pain on anyone. I didn't see how it was worth it.

"A pretty bland bunch, aren't they?"

I whipped my head toward the sound of his voice. There, on my left, was a boy about 17 or 18, I guessed. His brown…no, _mahogany _hair fell in short, soft waves, ending at the nape of his neck. He wore a striped oxford shirt and light blue jeans, capped off by a pair of non-descript hiking sneakers. A weathered, light brown leather bag sat at his left side, on the table. He was looking at the same throng of people.

I was shocked that I had not heard his approach. Had I been too engrossed in my own thoughts? That seemed unlikely…but possible, I suppose.

He turned to me, flashing a pearly white smile. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue – much like the ocean after a summer storm. They twinkled at me. I forgot to breathe.

"Hiya," he said. "New here?"


	5. Chapter 5: New

_**A/N: I'm having a bit of internal conflict in which way I want to go here. What would you, dear reader, like to see?**_

"I _said_, are you new here?"

I snapped out of my trance. "Uh, yeah. Just got here, actually. First day." I babbled. I sounded like an idiot.

"Well, then. Allow me to introduce myself. Connar." He thrust his hand at me. I tentatively shook it.

"Nessie."

"Nessie? As in _Loch Ness_ Nessie?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at me.

"Nessie, as in short for Reneesme, actually," I replied.

"Ah, well then. That's better." He smiled crookedly. "For a minute there, I was going to question your parents' sanity." He turned and dug into his bag, finding a stainless thermos of his own. As he opened his, I took a small sip from mine, running my tongue over my teeth quickly before I opened my mouth, as to lessen any noticeable trace of red.

"Are you from around here?" I asked.

"No. My mom and I moved here at the end of the last school year. What a dull little town, huh? They consider excitement watching the trees rot, I guess, from all this blasted rain we get. I don't know how anyone stands it." He took a sip from his thermos. "I miss the city."

"Why did you come here, then?" I asked.

"Work transfer. My mom works from home, but her employer needed someone in this region of the country." He took another sip. I could smell the faint scent of what I recognized as coffee.

"What does she do?"

He shrugged. "Don't know, really. She won't discuss it. Something to do with acquisitions, I think."

"Like the stock market?"

"I guess. She spends a lot of time in front of the computer."

"Hmm."

I looked back out across the courtyard, sipping my lunch. I noticed the crowds were thinning a bit. It must be close to time to go back in. I groaned at the realization.

"Yeah, that's about how I feel too," he said, smiling at me again.

The wind picked up again and, for the first time, I noticed his smell – a mixture of spicy cologne, coffee, and soap. I inhaled deeply. Jake always smelled like…woods. Woods and sweat. It wasn't bad, really, but it wasn't….this. This was almost…refreshing.

I felt a pang of guilt thinking of Jake, although I wasn't sure why. I was just talking to the guy. Wasn't like I was asking him out.

"What's your next class?"

I dug the schedule out of my pocket. "History. Mrs. Nash."

"Hey, that's my next class too. Boy, she's a peach, let me tell you," he said, chuckling slightly.

"I like history," I said. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

Connar chuckled again. "Yeah, we'll see." He arose, offering me his arm. "Shall we?"

I looked at him incredulously. I didn't realize what he wanted at first, then it slowed dawned on me. Should I take his arm? What would Jake think? I wondered if Seth could see me.

_He doesn't own you, Nessie, _I told myself. _Take a chance._

I gave myself another beat before I flipped the lid on my thermos, screwed on the cap, and stowed it in my bag.

"Why not?" I replied, snaking my arm around his elbow. He reflexively pulled it in closer to him.

I stiffened as I distinctly heard a wolf howl.


	6. Chapter 6: History and Future

We sat through History stealing glances at each other from across the room. When we arrived, the last two open desks were across from each other, but separated by two vertical rows. Every time I would look up, he would be staring at me. I would smile and look away.

I wondered to myself what I was doing. Here I was, first day of school, and I was getting all moony about a boy that I had just met. What was wrong with me?

I told myself it was just the rush of a new experience. As with everything else, my experiences with boys were limited. I never stayed in one place to really form friendships. I would have the passing crush, but it would never develop beyond that initial stage.

Then there was Jake. Ah, Jake. I loved Jake. Our bond was…indescribable, really. He'd always been there. I'd never known a time when he wasn't.

When I was young, he would phase and I would climb on his strong back, burying my fingers in the long, soft fur. Off we'd fly, through the forest and along the coastline. We go down to La Push sometimes and build sand castles, or we'd light a fire and he'd tell me the stories of his tribe. I would be mesmerized by his voice, his face lit by the warm embers as he would recount how the wolves came to be.

As I grew older, we would play ball, or go to the movies, or whatever. Fridays were usually movie nights at my house, with my parents snuggled on the couch and Jake and I on the floor. I would sidle up to him, balancing the large bowl of popcorn between us, laying my head on his shoulder. He was such a comfort to me. He just being around put me at peace. I felt protected.

I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Yet, I don't know if I could call myself _in love_ with him. I mean, he's just Jake. He tried to explain the whole imprinting thing once, but the entire premise sounded so strange to me. Having one true love, I could understand. I was living proof of that. My parents were inseparable. It was almost they lived for each other.

I longed to feel that way myself.

My mother would tell me stories of her life before changing, when she and my father met. The time he saved her from the skidding van, their first kiss, their separation. She wanted me to know, not only for my benefit but to try to encourage her increasingly clouded mind to remember. As the years progressed, she could remember less and less of her human life, and she felt those memories would be important to me, beyond telling me the story of their love. It was more than that. It was also to help me learn what it meant to be human. As dear as my family was to me, the only human that I came in contact with on a regular basis was Jake…and, well, I wasn't sure you could really call him _human_.

So here I was, surrounded by them, intrigued by one of them. He was gorgeous, that was for certain. He seemed to have an easy, confident air about him, and I wondered why he didn't already have a girlfriend. Maybe he hadn't been here long enough.

A thought struck me.

Could I actually fall in love?

I mean, I thought that I _could_, but…was it practical? Could I bring home a human boy to meet my parents, for example? What would he think? Would he run for the hills at the sight of the pale, luminescent strangers with honey colored eyes? My father would be reading all of his thoughts (a dream come true for any father, I suppose – to _really_ know the intentions of the boy toward his daughter). We couldn't really have him over for dinner. _Here, have a sip of this grizzly bear blood – they're in season, you know._ I could hear the screaming already. It was like a bad horror film.

That was one nice thing about Jake – he already knew all of this. I knew that the wolves were supposed to be the enemy of the vampires, and that my family's relationship with them was unique, to say the least.

However, in all reality, could I make a life with Jake? His family was the enemies of vampires. This was beyond _Romeo and Juliet_ here.

He wanted children – he would light up whenever we would see Sam and Emily with their two girls down on the reservation. Sometimes they would come to the beach and share in the storytelling.

I didn't know if I could ever have children. As with most hybrids, I sincerely doubted it. My very existence, though, defied logic, so I hoped this would, too.

Plus, good bad or indifferent, I was a vampire. I drank blood for sustenance. My family was all vampires. That's how I'd always identified myself.

The human part was always an aside, mainly because I didn't need to tap into it at all.

I wouldn't even be tapping into it now except for Grandpa Charlie needing us here in Forks. He was a human, too, and he didn't know that I wasn't. He and my mom had an understanding – sort of along the lines of _ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies_.

Now, I was in environments that necessitated that I _be_ human, and stifle my inner vampire.

Here I was, feeling the most basic, human emotion possible –budding love. Maybe it was just lust, I don't know. Whatever it was, I welcomed it.

The bell rang, derailing my train of thought. I distractedly grabbed my things. Connar was waiting for me in the hall. He smiled crookedly as I approached.

"What's your next class?" he asked.

"Umm…" I consulted my schedule. "Biology."

"Great! It's on my way to my Trig class. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7: A Sense of Malice

Biology was a drag. Human anatomy I had already studied on my own. The benefit of having a doctor for a grandfather –who also happened to be several hundred years old—was that I was never at a loss for reading material. His library was lined with books of every kind, primarily medical journals. I found it fascinating to read the books throughout the years, how thinking changed over time, how treatments were discovered and improved. Human anatomy was an interest, mainly because I hoped to understand myself. My father and Grandfather Carlisle also spent most of their time measuring me, studying me, noting every new learned skill and discovered trait. If I showed a human trait, namely something that reminded my father of my mother, he would break out into a huge grin. My mother wasn't always so fond of the things he discovered – she more relished the side of me that took after my father. I adore both my parents – I was fine either way.

The drawback was, I still had to sit through the drudgery that was a typical life science class. While I found the subject fascinating to a point, mutilating a frog was not. The smell of formaldehyde attacked my heightened senses with a vengeance. I didn't know if I had the ability to vomit, and I wasn't keen on finding out.

Connar was waiting for me in the hall after my last class, which was study hall. It seemed really asinine to schedule a study hall at the end of the day, especially since it forced me to do homework at human speed rather than what I was capable of. Even after years of practice, sometimes I felt so stifled by trying to over emphasize my humanity.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hey," I replied.

"I've got ball practice after school. You wanna watch me play?"

I almost said yes, but then I realized something my mother had asked me to do today.

"I'm sorry – I promised my mom that I would stop and see my grandfather on my way home today."

"Oh, OK then." He frowned. "Maybe another time?"

"Yeah," I said.

"See you tomorrow then."

As I watched him walk down the hall, something nagged at me. Something about the way he moved. It was too…deliberate. I shook my head to clear it. I must be imagining things. Maybe I needed to watch people more often. I probably was clouding how I viewed him with my own experiences.

I stopped by my locker to get my bag. Once I gathered my needed materials, I closed the door, letting it shut with a loud _twang_. I began the walk to my car.

The sun that had peeked earlier decided to hide again, and the slight breeze seemed to grow colder. I stood for a moment, letting my senses run wild, soaking up the fresh air. I closed my eyes. Mmm. Felt like snow.

It was then I heard a soft voice in the distance.

My eyes flew open with surprise, and I stilled myself to listen closer.

At first I didn't hear anything else. Just when I was going to give up, I heard it again, this time pleading:

"Please…don't do this."

It was a girl's voice, I thought. I looked around at the other students, also walking to their cars. No one seemed to hear anything out of the ordinary – at least, if they did, no one made a motion to help.

Then I heard…laughter. Laughter…with a touch of malice.

The second voice was deeper, resonant. A male voice, must be. Putting the two together made me uneasy.

I was near my car. I dashed over to it, unlocked the trunk and threw my bag in. I put the keys back in my jacket pocket as I walked toward where the sound was coming from. I allowed my senses to go on full alert, absorbing everything around me. I didn't hunt, but my family did teach me to track. We were natural predators, and those skills would help me survive, they thought. My survival had always been of utmost importance.

However, my father had also instilled in me not only a feeling of being protected, but of being a _protector_ as well. We, as vampires, always walked the line between preying on and protecting the innocent. We always had to keep a hold of our baser instincts. If our gifts would be of any real purpose, he would say, it would be for the greater good, not to simply to be killers.

Whenever my mother, would hear him talk about this, she would roll her eyes at him.

"Edward," she would scold. "We're not superheroes. Remember?"

He would grin wickedly at her, and I would hear her breath catch when he did. I would smile at these little proofs of their love.

"My dear Bella," he would say. "Did you not think of me as a superhero once?"

She would become embarrassed as he would put his arms around her and start whispering how he missed her blush. I would turn away then, leaving them to their moment.

Now, though, those words burned through my mind as I got closer to the sound. Laughter. Fear. The mix made me ill. I could almost sense the tension and malice in the air.

I followed the sound to one of the far buildings. I slowed my pace and crept silently to the wall, sliding down its length as I edged closer to the corner of the building, leading to the rear of the school grounds.

I peered around the corner. There, up against a garage door, was that girl that I saw earlier in the hall. Her hood was thrown back now, her mousy hair blowing in the breeze. Her eyes were wide with panic, her knuckles while as she clutched the strap of her book bag.

There, standing in front of her, were three boys. They looked almost too old to be in school – they _must_ be seniors, I thought. How else would they get onto grounds?

The largest one, who I guessed was the leader, loomed directly in front of her, his companions acting like wingmen on either side of him.

It was then I noticed their clothing for the first time. All three were dressed in black, but their clothes were worn, a bit dirty. Their hair black, greasy.

A string of profanities flew through my head. I guessed they were drifters, although I didn't know how they'd get back here. I turned to look around. We were quite a distance away from anyone else that would hear us…or get involved at all.

I turned back and saw the girl again, frightened, pushing herself against the metal door, the men creeping toward her.

I took in a deep breath and steeled my resolve. I stepped into the clearing.

"STOP!" I commanded.


	8. Chapter 8: Images

"STOP!"

The boys laughed wickedly, turning towards me. Assessing my slight frame, my hands balled into fists, my sneakers digging into the pavement, they laughed harder.

The large one spoke first.

"Well, what've we here? You want some too?"

Some of what, I didn't know. I didn't know what they were after. I didn't care. I had seen a flash of relief flash on the girls' face before fear flooded her again. She stayed in on the ground, pressed up against the door. I needed to help her.

My options flew through my brain at alarming speed. I knew that I needed to keep what I was to myself – I really didn't know if this girl was trustworthy or not. Dear heaven, what had I gotten myself into? Sometimes my instincts got the better of my brain.

The only thing that I could do was possibly scare them off. I had watched my father and uncles wrestle. They would growl and snarl like wild animals as they'd attack each other, flying through the air at each other, knocking their opponents into the leaves.

When I was little, I would get nervous, thinking it was real hostility they were showing toward each other. My mother would reassure me and mumble something about male egos not being limited to the human condition. Jake would laugh mockingly, giving my father grief at every opportunity. For some reason, it always seemed like he wanted Dad to be defeated. He never was, of course.

Jake! Oh, why wasn't he here? I regretted now him not being with me today. I darted my eyes around – the way we stood in relation to the buildings, anyone from outside the perimeter wouldn't see be able to see us. I couldn't call to Seth, either. I was stuck.

"What's-a-matter, sweetie?" mocked the large one. "Decided you can't handle us?"

_Well, yeah, maybe._ I thought to myself. _We'll see how it goes._

I gathered all my courage and strength, channeling it into rage. I could feel my muscles grow tense and taught. My nails dug into my palms. I let loose a fierce snarl.

At first, they were taken aback, evidences by their involuntarily stepping back from me. _OK, it was working._

Then I let loose a growl loud enough to shake the metal door. The girl's eyes opened even wider with shock and panic, her color (well, what she had left) completely left her.

As I felt the fluids flow within me, coursing through my veins, I could feel my senses getting wild. My eyes burned, blocking out everything but my focus on the three hoodlums. My ears pricked and I could hear their hearts beat wildly. I could smell their sweat, now pouring off them. I could taste…blood?

I tried to rein it in, but the feeling grew stronger. Was this thirst? I didn't have time to question it, or to fear it. It was taking over my brain, causing me to lose the ability to think clearly.

The boys were still frozen, watching me. I disregarded the wingmen – I focused on the large one.

I lunged for his throat.

I was vaguely aware of the boys running in opposite directions away from the scene, of the girl's screams.

I flew through the air, arm outstretched, hand open. I grabbed his throat and slammed him against the back wall of the adjacent building, snarling fiercely.

It was the _thud _as we hit that snapped me briefly out of my rage. I noticed the fear in his eyes. Rationale crept back into my consciousness, fighting back the fury. I couldn't hurt him. That was not who I was, who the Cullens were. _Protect the innocent_, I heard my father say from somewhere deep in my mind.

The guy seemed like a "bad guy", but in reality, what had he done? I was trying to prevent it, whatever "it" was.

I couldn't actually hurt him…but I could make him feel like I had.

Many of my family members were blessed, if you will, with gifts. My mother was a shield, my father could read minds, Aunt Alice could see the future, and Uncle Jasper could calm the feelings of those around him.

When I was a baby, before I could physically speak, I found that I had a gift of communicating through other's minds, almost the exact opposite of what my father could do. It was handy at communicating basic needs and wants, to convey feelings to complex for my young body to explain.

Once I began speaking, however, the need for that was less as I grew more proficient at talking. I would only use my gift sparingly, usually to convey a feeling of contentment or of love that I wanted to pass along to my family and to Jake.

I had used my gift once on a human. It was a 1st grade classmate. We were on a playground, on some sort of swing. The girl next to me, who I barely knew, tried to go too high, losing her balance and falling out of the seat. She landed on the ground with a hard thud, scraping her knee on a random piece of concrete that was, for some reason, in the grass.

Her tears unnerved me. It was the first time that I had seen someone cry. I hadn't known what to make of it. The anguish tore at me. I didn't know how to comfort her, but I had to try – I had to stop the pain.

Hopping out of the swing, I landed gracefully at her side. I instinctively laid my palm against the left side of her face and let the thoughts flow. I tried to think of images that might be calming. Teddy bears. Flowers. Our teacher. The piece of cake I had seen her eat at lunch.

The crying stopped immediately as she was fascinated by what I was doing. I tried to think calmly, conveying images to her. After a few seconds, she began to smile, her eyes brightening.

It was then that the playground attendant had reached us, running after hearing the young girl's cries. I stepped back, separating my hand from her face. The instant the contact was broken and the images stopped, she looked confused. I allowed the crowd to rush past me, fading into the background. It was soon after that we moved again.

This…_person_ deserved nothing calming. Quite the opposite in fact.

I flattened my hand to his stricken face, his body still pushed by mine against the wall. Once contact was established, I let the thoughts flood into his brain.

Horror. Pain. I envisioned me tearing him limb from limb with my bare hands. I thought of every scary movie scene that I could think of. Thoughts of wild animal teeth, snarling and biting.

I was so engrossed in the imagery that I let my guard down. I didn't hear him coming behind me. I vaguely heard a squeak that sounded like a warning from Hoodie Girl.

There was nothing vague, though, about the feeling of the thick tree branch hitting the side of my head, the ringing in my ears, the stinging in my eyes.

I staggered, breaking the contact. Disoriented, I slid to the ground, holding my head. I didn't think I was hurt, just dazed. I struggled to regain my composure.

It was then I felt a heavy _whoosh_ of air blow by me, carrying with it the scent of wet dog.


	9. Chapter 9: Savior

The initial _whoosh_ was followed by a loud _thud_. The ball of fur hit the wingman hard enough to knock the wind from him, knocking him backwards.

I turned to see the large wolf positioned between me and the boy on the ground. He was snarling with fury, saliva dripping from his lower lip. I recognized him instantly.

_Jake!_ Thank heaven. I'd never been so glad to see him before in my entire life.

The large boy had regained some of his composure, if not all of his color, but still was leaning heavily against the wall. I looked over at Hoodie Girl.

She was passed out cold. _Good_, I thought. _Maybe_ _she'll think this was all a dream or something._

The boy on the ground looked at Jake with a face filled with terror. Jake snarled again, snapping his teeth this time. The boy scrambled to find footing on the damp pavement. The large boy held his hands up as if this were a mugging, backing away from the way slowly. The wingman got to his feet, and once he did, both turned around and ran.

I exhaled. It was over. Almost.

Once the boys were out of sight, Jake spun around and angrily growled at me.

_Uh-oh_.

I opened my mouth to explain when I heard voices. I saw Jake's ears prick up at the same time. It was people from school coming toward us to investigate the ruckus that they must have heard.

"Jake, you'd better run," I said.

He just snorted in response.

"Go!" I pleaded. "This will be hard enough to explain without explaining why a wolf is here, too. _Normal _wolves don't like humans, you know."

He snorted more fiercely this time.

"OK, OK. You know what I meant. Now GO!"

He looked up again toward the approaching sound, looked at me once more, and then was gone.

I heard Connar's voice first.

"Nessie! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. I rose to my feet and brushed at my wet pants in vain.

"What happened?"

"Oh, some boys were bullying this girl over here—" I motioned to Hoodie Girl "—and it got a little…uh…intense."

There was a small group around Hoodie Girl trying to rouse her. I didn't really want to be there when she woke up.

"I really need to get to my grandfather's place," I said. "It must be getting late."

Fortunately, no teachers had arrived yet. I was hoping to avoid them too.

"Are you sure?" Connar asked. "Maybe you need to see a doctor."

"NO!" I said, too quickly, I realized. "I mean, no," I amended, "I'm fine. Really."

"I'll walk you back to your car then."

I tried to ignore the stares as Connar and I made our way down toward the parking lot. I really hadn't wanted to gain attention this way. I hadn't wanted to gain any at all, really. Blend in, be human, I reminded myself.

_What were you supposed to do? Let that girl get beat up – or worse?_ I asked myself. No, that really wasn't an option, either.

Even in a town as small as Forks, I hoped the news wouldn't reach my parents. Then it hit me.

_Jake! _

That string of profanities zipped through my head again. I should have asked him to keep quiet. Damn and blast, there was no way I could catch him now, car or no.

"You sure you're OK to drive?"

Connar's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah. Really. I'm good," I lied. I looked up into his deep blue eyes, seeing the twinkles replaced by the concern that I found there.

I said goodbye and hopped into my car, feeling relief as the engine roared to life. I began the journey to Grampa Charlie's house, the previous events swirling in my brain.

I was going to have to tell Mom and Dad. I just hope I got to do it before Jake did.


	10. Chapter 10: At Grandpa's

I drove toward Grandpa Charlie's house, rehashing the day in my mind. What a day it had been. I wished it was a bad dream that I could wake up from.

My first fear was that we were going to have to move again. I hoped that wasn't the case. My mother would be terribly upset if that were to occur. However, I wondered how we'd go from here. Growling alone wouldn't raise suspicion, I suppose, but what if the guy talked about the images? He looked like a drifter, though – hopefully he was in the next county by now.

I wondered what they had wanted. It wasn't important now, but I was curious.

I couldn't afford curiosity right now, though. I had to talk to Jake later and straighten out whatever misconceptions he had. I could tell he wasn't happy. Times like that I wish I had my father's gift instead of my own.

I pulled into the drive of my mother's former home. The old house looked weathered, almost haggard. The lawn was neat, a solid sea of green. The police cruiser sat in front of the house.

I sighed, exiting the car.

I wondered what mood he'd be in. He had taken Billy's death rather hard. So much so that he had taken a few days off from work – the first time he had done that in anyone's recent memory. He and Billy had grown closer since his friend Harry had died. My mother said that he had secretly hoped that she and Jake would have married so they could all be "official" family. She said he was disappointed to learn that she and Jake were just good friends.

Strange thing was, Jake had been there when she told me that. He was sitting in our living room reading the paper. When she told me about them being friends, he snorted fiercely – much like he did earlier with me.

I didn't think to ask that question then. Maybe I should ask that when I see him.

I turned the handle of the wooden door, the smell of cooking hitting me violently. I wasn't prepared for it. My breath caught sharply, causing me to cough.

"Renesmee, is that you?" I heard my mother call from the kitchen. I followed the smell into the small room. Grandpa Charlie was sitting at the table, munching on something that looked like a cookie.

"Hi Mom," I said. I went over and kissed Grandpa on the head. "Hi Grandpa."

He finished chewing and swallowed, hugging me at the same time. "Hey there, Ness."

I turned to my mother. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"I wasn't going to be," she said. "Grandpa called me earlier and mentioned that his freezer was getting low. I took that as a sign that my services were needed."

Occasionally she'd come over and cook for Grandpa. It was something that she had said she missed about her old life. She told me that she never wanted to be a chef or anything, but it made her feel good to cook for him. It gave her purpose in her old life, and it gave her the same feeling in her new one.

I pulled a wooden chair away from the table and sat down, the chair making a loud noise as I scooted it toward the table.

"You hungry, Ness?" Grandpa asked. He didn't know about our special….dietary needs. Another one of those "need to know" things.

"No, thanks, Grandpa." Actually, the smells were making me a bit ill. It didn't always bother me so. Maybe it was my jumbled nerves. I tried not to think about it.

"How was school?" asked my mother. I looked over where she was standing. She was at the stove, stirring something that looked like scrambled eggs.

"Fine," I lied.

"Make any new friends?" asked Grandpa, taking a sip of milk.

"Not really. I met a couple people."

"Good. You're too much like your mother, you don't socialize much." He took another bite of cookie. "I like Jake, but you need more friends that just him."

"Yeah, I know."

I heard the oven door creak as my mother bent to check on some sort of casserole in the oven. "Dad," said my mother, "leave her alone. We just moved back."

"I know, Bells," said Grandpa. "But she's still young. She needs to not be so sheltered all the time. You told me yourself that…"

The ring of the phone interrupted him. My mother wiped her hands on her apron and cross the wooden floor to the phone on the wall.

"Hello? Edward! Why—what?" Her eyes flashed to me. "Why should Nessie come home? Jake? Is he back? He should come down for dinner and...What? Edward, you aren't making any sense. Yes, she's sitting right here." She handed the receiver to me. "He wants to talk to you. What's this about?"

I swallowed hard. I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Reneesmee," my father growled, "I've just had an interesting talk with Jake about your day at school today. Do you have something that you want to tell me?"

"Uh..not really." Well, I didn't _want_ to tell him.

"I think you do. I think you should come home know so we can…_discuss_ it." I could hear the steel in his voice. It sounded as if he was trying to keep his voice under control…and was failing.

"Uh…" I thought about stalling for time. I looked up and saw that Mom and Grandpa were staring at me with inquisitive eyes. If I stayed here, I'd still have to explain, and then face my father later. He wouldn't forget. He'd wait as long as it took. He had eternity to wait. I might as well get this over with.

"OK."

"I'll be waiting." _Click_.

I rose and put the receiver back on the hook. I turned around to face my waiting family.

"Well?" asked my mother. "What was that about?"

"Oh, Jake's there. He…helped me at school today," I said, looking at Grandpa meaningfully. I didn't know how artful I could be with the explanation with Grandpa there. Plus, he _was_ the Chief of Police – he was likely to form a posse and round up the drifters himself. He was as protective as the rest of them.

My mother was perceptive, as usual. She didn't press further. "As soon as I'm done here, I'll be along myself."

"Sorry to cut our visit short, Grandpa," I said. I went over to hug him again.

"Well, now you'll just have a reason to stop back by. It gets lonely around here without my girls." He gave me a squeeze in return. "Come back soon."

"I will, I promise."

At least, I hoped I would be back…if my father didn't put me under lock and key.


	11. Chapter 11: Reckoning

Dad was waiting for me as I pulled into the drive. He was pacing back and forth in yard – so much so that he'd worn a trench into the soft, wet earth. I swallowed hard and got out of my car slowly.

"Hey, Dad," I said.

"Renesmee," he replied coolly. I think you ought to come into the house."

I slowly followed him into the stone cottage. As I entered, I saw Jake, sitting in one of the wing chairs, looking sternly at me. He was shirtless. I shuddered involuntarily. One thing I have to give him, he was _hot_, especially without his shirt. I usually tried not to notice, but today I was thankful for the distraction – however fleeting it was.

Jake stood up quickly as I approached. "What were you _thinking_, Ness? Are you _crazy_?"

"Jacob," my father said. "I'll handle this."

Jake turned sharply to him. "But she's my--"

"She's _my_ daughter," Dad growled.

Jake looked at me again and sat down slowly.

My father turned to me. "Renesmee," he began. "I understand that you had…that you were in…some activity today."

I tried to play it off. "Well, Dad, uh…It was a big day, y'know? _Very_ active. I met a lot of new people, and…"

His growl cut me off.

"You know _what_ I'm talking about."

I took a deep breath. "OK. Yeah, I know what you mean."

He waited.

"I was leaving school. I heard a voice that sounded like they needed help. I couldn't ignore it, Dad. You know how you're always saying that we have a responsibility to _protect the innocent_? Well, I thought—well, I was pretty sure—the person that I heard was an innocent, so I went to her aid, and…" I let me voice drift off as I saw him grab at the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. It was a brief moment before he spoke.

"I told you that…" he began slowly, "...because we are to protect them by not _eating_ them. Not for you to go RUNNING OFF and TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!" His last statement was delivered in a roar of words, his topaz eyes blazing at me.

"Edward?" My mother breezed into the room, shutting the door behind her. "What's wrong? I can hear you growling from outside."

He continued to growl, but at a more tolerable level. "My dear Bella. It seems as if your daughter has your predilection for disaster."

"What?" she asked breathlessly, crossing over to me, placing her arm around my shoulder. "What does he mean, Renesmee?"

My mother's presence made me feel calmer. "I…I got into a fight, I guess." She gasped, but let me continue.

"There was this girl – I'd seen her earlier in the day – and she was being threatened or something but these three dirty looking hoodlum types. Anyway, I couldn't just walk away." I turned to look at my mother. "She was so _scared_, Mom."

"See?" my father interrupted. "A _normal _human reaction."

My mother snorted at him.

"You should have seen her." I turned back to Dad. "I was in a position to help. You told me yourself that we should never back down from what we feel is right. Well, I felt this was right somehow."

"Oh, really?" Jake snarled. "Did it feel right when one of them knocked you in the head?"

I flinched at the memory. I could feel my parents glaring at me. My father's breathing sounded labored, as if he was trying to gain control.

"Nessie. I thought I taught you to use your senses better than that. You should never have …"

"I know, Dad. I was.._distracted_."

"By what?" he asked.

"I didn't know if I could fight them all off. I thought that maybe I could scare them. I growled at the two wingmen, but the leader wasn't…as scared as the other two. So, I…I used my gift to scare him."

"How?" my mother asked.

"Well, you know how I can relay feelings that I'm having by touching you?" Mom nodded. "I thought that I could do the same thing and think of horrible things instead of good thoughts, and flood his consciousness with any scary thing that I could think of, to get him to be afraid."

"Did it work?" she asked.

I brightened a bit. "Yes! You should have seen his face! It was ash white, and…"

"Ahem," my father interrupted my gloating. He grabbed his nose again. "Bella, please stop encouraging her." He looked at me again. "Nessie, I'm glad you are learning new aspects to you powers, but now you have revealed your gift to someone we don't know. That's a very dangerous thing to do. You know what it will be like if this is discovered? If the Volturi get wind of this?"

I shrank back a bit, remembering the stories my family told me of the mysterious Volturi. My mother squeezed me tightly.

Jake jumped up. "Let them come. Dirty, stinking bloodsuckers. We fought them once. We can do it again."

"Jake!" my mom glared at him. "I'm not going to put by family in danger to satisfy your bloodlust. Besides, remember your family is comprised of 'dirty, stinking bloodsuckers' now."

Jake snorted. "You know I don't think of you that way, Bells."

My father growled deep in his throat, but said nothing.

"Truth is truth, Jake, no matter what you want it to be. I am a vampire now. So is Nessie." She squeezed me again.

"She's human, too, Bells. Don't forget that."

"How could I forget that?" my mother snapped. " Sometimes, Jake, I swear that…"

"Bella," my father interrupted. "Let's keep the focus on Nessie, shall we?"

I swallowed hard.

"Nessie," he continued, "This wasn't good. Suppose Jake hadn't been there. What then? What were you going to do?"

I lowered my head. "I don't know," I mumbled.

"You're lucky Seth came and got me. I can't leave you alone for a few days! Disaster is apparently in your blood…so to speak. Oh, and by the way, who was that guy who walked you to your car?"

My head snapped up. I didn't like the tone his voice had taken at the last question. My eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I don't like him."

"No one asked you to."

"Does he have a name?"

"Do you?"

"_Nessie_," Jake growled.

"_Jake_," I mocked back.

"Who is this boy?" Dad asked.

"His name is Connar. He's new here too, he came here at the end of last year."

Jake laughed. "Connar? _Connar_? What kind of stupid name is _Connar_?"

"What do you care?" I hissed. I was getting downright irritated now. "What business is it of yours?"

"_You_ are my business," Jake growled.

"Why? 'Cause you _own_ me?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What?" I was mad now. "Who the hell do you think you are? I thought people owned dogs, not the other way around!"

I heard my mother calling me as I shot down the hallway and slammed my door.


	12. Chapter 12: Ride Home

_**Note: Many apologies for the delay in updating. Real life getting in the way, sapping all my creative juices. **_

…and with that, I was grounded.

Sort of.

Grounded for me wasn't much of a change. I just was to go to school and come home, that was it. Heck, that was what I pretty much did anyway.

The only part that I really objected to was that Jake was by my side as close as the moss that hugged all these damn trees. He had briefly went back to the reservation to finish whatever he needed to, and then he started Nessie-duty.

I couldn't quite get used to the wolves watching my every move, but I tried not to think about it. Seth had been joined by Jake and Quil. They were following Jake's orders, I knew that. I wished that I could call them off, though. I thought the overreaction was a bit much.

I didn't realize the extent of it though until after school the next day. Connar had walked me to my car. He had been really cool about everything – not asking me any questions, even though I knew he was curious.

He did tell me, though, on our way out of school that the girl was OK, and that he had read that the three drifters had been apprehended. Somehow, they ended up tied up neatly and left on the precinct doorstep. They were mumbling something about a real life version of _Dances with Wolves_ and some specter with golden eyes that threatened to eat them if they didn't do exactly as he said. Last Connar had heard, they were being evaluated for mental stability.

_They weren't the only ones_, I thought bitterly. I had a feeling I knew who that "specter" was, and had a feeling he needed to be "evaluated" too.

{_sigh_}

When we reached my car, I unlocked it with my remote and Connar went to open it for me when I felt another _whoosh_, followed by the sound of a door slamming. I lowered my head and looked inside the car.

The shadow in the passenger seat of my car was unmistakable. So was the smell.

"Jake!" I hissed. "Get out of my car!"

"Uh, Nessie…?" asked Connar, nodding in Jake's direction.

"Jake, Connar. Connar, Jake. Jake is…uh…a _friend_ of mine."

"Hey!" Connar extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. You go to school here too?"

Jake just glared at him. Connar dropped hi s hand.

"Nessie, we have to go." Jake growled.

"We?" I asked.

"Yes." He continued glaring at Connar – or more like throwing daggers at him with his eyes.

"Hey, Ness, it's cool," Connar said. "I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure."

Just then, a thought struck me. _It'd serve him right._

I reached up and gave Connar a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for walking to me car." Connar turned a bright shade of pink.

Jake's growl shook the car. Connar flinched, but stammered "Yeah, 'k. Tomorrow then." Then he backed away toward his own vehicle.

I lingered for a moment before throwing my bag at Jake, getting in the car and slamming the door.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" I hissed at him.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jake snarled back, throwing my back in the back seat.

"You could, but you'd have no reason to."

"Oh no?"

"_NO_." I started the engine, revving it once.

I backed out of the parking space and we pulled out of the lot in silence.

We were almost home when he spoke.

"He's human, Ness."

"_No!_" I mocked. "Really?"

He turned to me, eyes blazing. "You think he'd _understand_? How do you think he'll react, Nessie?"

I pretended not to know what he meant. "React to what? We're not getting married, Jake." I couldn't resist adding, "Yet."

He punched the dashboard of the car.

"Dad's going to kill you if you damage this car."

"You think this is _funny_?" he growled.

We were in front of my house. I parked the car and turned off the engine.

"Jake. You are making mountains out of molehills. He's just a nice guy."

"Yeah, seems like your mom told me that once, too," he grumbled.

I didn't know what he meant by that. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

We got out of the car. He was already peeling his shirt off and stuffing the end of it in his back pocket. Good grief, I couldn't think looking at him like that. I shook my head to clear it.

"Seriously, what did you mean by that? I mean, I know you and Dad always haven't gotten along, but…"

He looked off into the distance for a moment before turning his gaze back to me. "They never told you, did they?"

"Told me what?"

Just then I heard the heavy wooden front door creak open. My parents appeared in the doorway.

"I see Jake brought you home safely," my dad said.

"Yeah," I shrugged.

Jake turned away from me and looked at my father intently. My father replied only with a slight nod.

He turned back to me. "I'll see you later, Nessie."

With that, Jake was gone. I was left standing there, my parents staring at me expectedly, wondering just what the hell I had missed.


	13. Chapter 13: Late Night Reflections

I lay in bed that night, thinking everything over. It seemed like so much happened in only a few days. My life all of a sudden felt like it was on fast forward. Well, technically, I guess, it had always been. The last few days, though, may as well have been a blur.

I thought of the altercation, and wonder how I could've handled it differently. Dad was right – I shouldn't have put myself out there like that. However, I couldn't let that girl be terrorized by those….well, whatever they were. I wondered if Hoodie Girl was still OK.

I thought of Connar. He was a nice addition to my life, but I was wondering how he fit in to it. What if Jake was right, and he _wouldn't_ understand? Would I even have to tell him anything? Probably. Eventually. I cringed at the thought. I wondered how my mom really felt about my dad being a vampire. I mean, she told me what happened, but I was curious as to how she actually felt. She played it off to me as if it were no big deal, but…I couldn't believe it. Not fully. Of course, I couldn't imagine her freaking out about it either. I couldn't…I wouldn't.

Maybe I could change Connar, or Dad could. I shook my head. _That's stupid_. We were teenagers, and to make that kind of commitment now would be unusual for a human male to do at this age. I didn't know _much_ about guys, but I knew that. My father looked 17, but he had a century of life behind him, so he knew what he wanted and was mature enough to make a commitment to my mom. My mother was an old soul, and had seen enough of the world to know what she wanted. I had neither the abundance of time or wisdom to guide me. I seriously doubted that Connar was even anywhere _close_ to where I was, and I, at least, had some idea of how life would be like. I couldn't take his life away just to make mine easier. I wondered how long I could keep the charade up.

I still didn't really know how I felt about him anyway. Was it a simple crush, or would it be something more? Something in the pit of my stomach would knot up when I'd see him. My breath would hitch a little when he'd say "hi". He smelled _really_ good. I didn't know what love was like, but I wanted to find out. I could be wrong though – It's not like I _imprinted_ on him or anything.

That led me to Jake. There was something that he wasn't telling me. I assumed it had something to do with the imprinting I had always avoided talking about. Not only could I not understand it, there was a part of me that didn't want to. A big part, if I told myself the truth.

He did tell me some things. He said that he and my mom were good friends. My mom was really sick for a long time while she was pregnant with me. My birth almost killed her, my father saved her by changing her. She had risked her life at every turn to bring me to life, and ended up giving up her humanity…for mine.

He told me that he was upset about that. He thought she had more of a life to live as a human. Well, he thought that at first. That was _before_.

He tried to explain the moment he imprinted to me. He talked about feeling like he was separate from his body, the colors he saw, the pull he felt towards me. That's when I would start feeling a bit weirded out, and change the subject.

Seriously, the entire concept didn't make any sense. How could a grown man fall in love with a newborn baby? Imagine trying to tell someone outside of the family that. _Dateline_ would be on our doorstep in a heartbeat, trying to catch the wrong kind of predator.

I also didn't like the idea that Jake thought that I was his, just because he imprinted on me. I had always dismissed the feeling before. Connar had a hand in changing that, in the short time that I knew him. I wanted to explore all of life before I committed to _anything_, let alone becoming someone's soul mate. That might work in the wolf pack…but I wasn't a wolf. I think sometimes the lines got blurred.

I also knew Dad and Jake would never be the best of pals. I could also sense tension when he was around. Not much, but it was there. No one ever really spoke about it. I thought maybe Dad wasn't comfortable with the entire idea either. That, and the whole wolves vs. vamps thing. I couldn't think of any other reason why it would be there.

I tried to quiet my mind so that I could go to sleep. Sleep was _so_ overrated. I looked at my clock. It was 12:30 AM. I sighed, snuggling further into my pillow.

It was then I heard a hard knock, followed by the creak of the old wooden front door, and the heavy _thud_ of it closing again. Who would be here at this hour?

I sat up in bed, threw my legs over the side, and shimmied into my padded slippers. I grabbed my robe from the end of the bed and put it on, loosely tying the belt around my small waist. I crept over to my door, opening it slowly. I heard the muffled sound of voices. My parents, I guessed. Then, I heard a deep voice reply. _Jake_?

Silently, I padded into the hallway, leaving my door ajar, sliding down the hallway. I stopped as soon as I could hear their voices. They were talking fast and low. Jake's tone seemed agitated.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?"

"Look, Jake, we told you that we needed to tell her at the right time," my mother replied.

"Bella, you've had plenty of time to tell her. She's old enough now to understand. I'm tired of keeping it from her."

"Jake," my father began, sighing heavily. "When you told us that you had imprinted on Nessie, we didn't fully understand it, but we could appreciate where you were coming from. Why can't you do the same for us? Why does she need to know this?"

"Because, _Edward_," Jake growled, "she needs to know her history. She also needs to understand the imprinting fully. She hasn't a choice."

My mother scoffed. "What do you mean, she 'hasn't a choice'? Of course she has a choice! She's not a wolf, Jake. She's not bound by the same things you are."

"Really? You said you appreciated where I was coming from. Do you really _mean_ that? Do you understand that I cannot _be_ without her? That I cannot _exist_ separate from her?" Jake laughed bitterly. "I would think you, of all people, would understand that, Bells. Do you remember how you felt when Edward left? That hole inside that even _I_ couldn't fill? Do you really hate me that much, after all this time?"

"Jake," Mom pleaded, "she needs to make her own choice."

Jake laughed loudly. "Seriously? Did _I_ have a choice, Bella? Did _I_ get a choice? I remember _you_ having a choice. How long did it take you to _decide_, Bella? I'm supposed to go through that again? It was hard enough the first time. Now, you are telling me that I have to stand by while the woman I love has to have a _choice_? I have to go through this _again_? That's rich, Bella. I didn't think you were masochistic."

I heard my mother make a strange crying noise.

"Jake!" My father hissed. "Stop. Now. Nessie has her own life to live. She's not a consolation prize."

Jake growled. "Dammit! I know that, Edward! You already took the first woman I loved from me, now you want to take the second? How am I _supposed_ to react?"

"Jake," my mother said, her voice still sounding strange, "you know he didn't take me away from you…"

_What?_


	14. Chapter 14: Revelation

_**Note: I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in so long! Too much going on, not enough me. I hope you enjoy, and I'll try not to take so long next time. **__****_

"_What?"_

Apparently, my brain-to-mouth filter shuts off after midnight. Damn.

"Nessie?" my mother called.

I padded into the living room, scowling at the three inquisitive faces standing there. Obviously they wanted to know what I had heard.

"What's going on?" I asked. Jake looked away and shuffled his feet. Mom and Dad looked…confused. As if they didn't know what to say.

"Jake?" I figured he might answer me. "What did you mean by, '_You already took the first woman I loved from me, now you want to take the second?_'"

Jake shot my parents a nervous look. "She might as well know now, don'tcha think?"

My father cleared his throat as if to speak, but Mom put her hand over his. "I can do this," she said.

"Nessie," she began, "Jake and I….were best friends once. "

This, I already knew. "Go on," I said.

My mother reverted to the human habit of twitching when she was nervous. "Well, Jake…" She looked at him. "…wanted more. I was already in love with your father. I….turned him down. "

I looked at her skeptically. "How _much_ more?"

"You see, Nessie," my father interjected, "I made the mistake of leaving your mother once." He draped his arm around her shoulders as she instinctively wrapped her own arms around her stomach, seeming to lurch slightly forward. "I will regret doing that until the end of time. During that time, your mom turned to Jake for comfort, and they became very close…"

"Then your Dad had to go and attempt suicide, ruining all the fun," Jake said.

My mouth hung open.

"Suicide?" I asked. "How is that even _possible_?"

My father sighed and began to tell me the story: My father's leaving. My mother's leap off the cliff. Aunt Alice's vision. Italy. The Volturi. How someone named Victoria plotted to kill my mother. How Jake had been involved, along with the other members of the pack.

Some of it I knew, some of it I didn't. All the images gelled together in my mind, creating one big blur. I wasn't sure if that was because my father was talking so quickly or the fact that my brain seemed to be on overload. I tried to make sense of it as my mind swam. A few images were visible, though.

I could imagine my mother, looking much as she did now, ashen and vulnerable. I could see my father, desperate to protect my mother, much as he did now as he spoke, his body poised defensively toward her.

The only thing I couldn't see was Jake. As my father spoke, he just stood there, his face smooth, as if he were trying to control his emotions. He said nothing. He just stood there, rigid, almost as still as a vampire, except for the slightest vibration I could feel pulsating from his body. I shivered involuntarily as I felt the wave hit me.

When my father paused, I interrupted. "OK, Dad, that's…a lot to take in. But I still don't see what that has to do with Jake." _Or me, for that matter_.

There was an uncomfortable pause. I could feel electricity stinging the air, although I wasn't sure why.

Finally, after a few moments, Jake broke the silence with a frustrated growl. I jumped.

"C'mon!" he demanded. "I don't know what you two are dancing around it so much for." Before my parents could respond, he turned to me.

"I was in love with your mother, Ness," he said simply. "I wanted to spend my life with her. She made her _choice_," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward my father, "and that was the end of it."

I took a moment to let that sink in. He was in love with my mother. Once. Still. It didn't matter. I didn't care…or did I? This was all too much. A hundred questions sped through my mind. Was she in love with him? Why had she picked my father? What happened then? Was he still bitter? What did that have to do with me?

With me.

_You already took the first woman I loved from me, now you want to take the second._

I was the second…the second woman he loved. He'd imprinted on _me_. I didn't fully comprehend the imprinting, but I knew that it was a one-shot deal. One woman, one wolf. So then…he didn't imprint on Mom? Yet, he wanted her to chose him, and she didn't….

Then he imprinted on _me_. The daughter of his first love.

Somewhere deep inside, my confusion turned to irritation, then to rage. I balled my fists tightly at my sides as I slowly looked up at him. He was waiting there with a slightly smug look on his face, as if he'd let the cat out of the bag, and was pleased about it.

"So," I began, "why didn't you tell me before?"

Jake shrugged. "Bella….er, your Mom and Dad thought it best that we not tell you right away. Plus," he added, "I didn't want it to be weird."

"Weird? _Weird?_" I spat back at him. "You didn't want it to be _weird_? Gee , Jake, I can't imagine why you would think _that_! After all, I'm the consolation prize, right? Her…" I struggled for the phrase. "…._messy seconds_?"

My father cleared his throat, "_Sloppy_ seconds," he corrected me.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. "Oh, who _cares_?" I growled, glaring at all three of them now. I couldn't tell if the looks on my parents' faces were ones of shock or pity. Jake still had a hint of that smugness on his face, which only added fuel to the fire. His calm demeanor, though, did nothing to quell my inner turmoil, which was threatening to get out of control. Colors flashed through my mind, spinning in ribbons of confusion.

"You know it's not like that, Nessie," he said to be, trying to be reassuring. He took a step toward me, his hands outstretched. "It was a long time ago. C'mon, it's nothing to be upset about."

Nothing to be _upset_ about? All my life, everyone had always expected us to _be_. Jake and Nessie. Like movies and popcorn or cake and ice cream. Just something that was…_expected_. I'd always chalked it up to the imprinting thing, as well as the natural tendency to have everyone paired up. Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie….Edward and Bella.

Now I knew the real reason. He couldn't have my mother, so he'd take the next best thing. Plus, he sort of got to keep my mom in the bargain. Brilliant. I'd never thought of Jake as the cunning sort. I was wrong.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice him take another step toward me and put his hand on my shoulder. "C'mon, Nessie…." He said.

His hand felt like a hot poker against my arm, burning through the fabric onto my cool skin. I reacted instinctively, the colors consuming me until I could no longer see clearly.

I growled fiercely, shoving him off me, the emotions flooding through me, down my arm, and into my touch. The combined force of my own strength and my emotions was much stronger than I anticipated. Instead of merely shoving him away, I watched him fly across the room, crashing into a chair and then into the bookcase with a loud _thud_, followed by a crashing sound. My parents looked incredulous at me, but I didn't care. I had to get out of there.

With one last growl, I spun on my heel, yanked the heavy door wide and fled into the night.


	15. Chapter 15: What Now?

Well, _that_ was stupid.

I pulled my knees up to rest my chin on them. The rock I was sitting on was cold and slightly damp, but I didn't care.

For one thing, I thought as I stared at my feet morosely, I just ruined my favorite slippers. There were strings and fuzz sticking up everywhere, having been shred to pieces during my run. They weren't made to be used on the forest floor, let alone worn by a half-vampire at full speed. I could feel places where the soles had worn through; the damp air tickled at my feet. _Great_. I would have to go into town tomorrow to get a new pair. Maybe I'd just order a pair online….nah. I would need them for tomorrow. I didn't have a spare pair to wear while waiting for them to ship.

I hugged my legs tighter. That was the least of my worries right now, though. I just didn't really want to think about it. _Jake and_…. I swallowed hard before finishing the thought. …_MOM_. Ugh.

I tried to think of it logically. How serious was it, really? She still married Dad, right? It must have not been that intense. From what I knew of wolves and vampires, though, relationships weren't exactly _casual_. Growing up, the electricity between the couples in the house was palatable. I'd learn to tune it out after a while, but sometimes I couldn't help noticing the _looks_ they gave each other. Very rarely were they ever apart.

Even the wolf pack, from the short spurts I had been with them (usually if they came to visit Jake wherever we were) were the same way with their mates. Even Quil with Claire, even though she was only ten, the attachment was obvious. I wondered what Claire thought about that. It wasn't something I felt comfortable about asking her, since she was younger than I was (well, sort of). I wondered if she'd be upset once she was older, that she wouldn't have the chance to date…to fall in and out of love…to experience the joy and pain of it all before committing to that certain someone. I mean, that's the way the world really worked, right? Like, for _normal _people? She was still normal. She wasn't a wolf or anything. Did she get a choice? If not, did she care? I was dying to know.

I suppose that my family had all fell in love once and stayed with their mates, but as Dad tried to explain to me before, vampires make deep attachments once they have found their mates. There wasn't a question….it just _was_. No going back, no fighting it…it was fate.

_Fate_. What an interesting concept.

I thought of Mom again. She was human when she first met Dad and Jake. So, she was _normal_, right? Did _she_ have a choice? If she did, did she make the right one? Was it _fate_ that drew her to Dad? What if she had chosen Jake? Would it have still been _fate_?

From what I overheard, Jake didn't get a choice…either time. As I understood it, imprinting only happened once. So, he hadn't imprinted on Mom, but loved her anyway…Hmm. Could one person be fated for two people? Mom for Dad _and_ Jake….Jake for Mom _and_ me? Where would the imprinting come in then? Was I really second prize, even if _fate_ caused him to imprint onto me and not her?

What if Mom had chosen Jake, instead of Dad? Would he have still imprinted? How does that work? He would just leave his family?

Maybe he wouldn't have, since I wouldn't exist.

What would have happened to Dad then? He was in love with her too, and as he said, vampires don't fall in love easily. They fall in love to _stay_.

So, then, would he have waited Jake out? Wolves do die, but they live a pretty long time. Mom would have certainly passed before he did. What would have happened to Dad then?

Probably try to kill himself again, and that time he'd be successful. I shuddered at that thought.

_Fate_, I thought bitterly. What a screwed up concept. What sick, sadistic mind thought all this up? Mom was damned if she did, damned if she didn't. Apparently _fate_ didn't equal _fair_.

So where did that leave me?

I thought of Connor. Was it really fair for me to encourage a relationship with him? I mean, nothing has actually _happened_ yet, but…what if it did? Could I hurt Jake by doing that to him….again?

How _did_ I feel about Jake anyway?

I thought about that. To be honest, I wasn't sure. I think, for the most part, I had been avoiding the question. Everyone expected it, sure, but to me it felt like an arranged marriage. _ I_ didn't make the decision. Did _I_ get a choice?

I resented that. Everyone else got to _fall in love_. Jake was just….Jake. He's always been part of my life. I loved him, sure, but did I _love_ him? Can you fall in love with someone who was always just _there_? How would you know?

I didn't. There were too many questions floating around in my head. Now, with this Mom thing…

Ugh. This was so weird. How many people had someone who was in love with your _mother_ fall in love with _you_?

Of course, how many vampire-human hybrids are there? Who had a _wolf_ in love with them? I sighed. Normal people didn't know how lucky they had it. Connor would definitely be better off _not_ getting involved with me. I doubted anyone would understand why this seven foot guy insisted on hanging around, being a part of their girl's life. Well, that would probably be the least of my worries.

_Connor, these are my parents. What, oh yeah. They're a little pale…yeah…because they are vampires._

I wondered how fast he'd turn and run. If he was smart, it'd be pretty quick.

My train of thought was interrupted by a rustling in the trees behind me. The familiar scent hit me instantly.

"Go away, Jake," I muttered. I heard him snort. I didn't turn around. The rustling got louder. I guessed he was phasing. I rested my face on my knees. I didn't want to do this now.

"Don't you think we should talk?" he asked.


	16. Chapter 16: What We Are

"No."

I heard Jake shuffle to my side. "C'mon, move over, Bloodsucker," he said jokingly as he bumped his hip into mine. However, I was in no mood for his penchant for sarcasm. My head snapped up and I glared at him. He flinched. Well, he flinched for _Jake_. Most people would call that a shiver. However, I knew him too well not to know his reactions.

"Sheesh. Sorry," he muttered, still pushing his hip into mine to force me over. I scooted an inch, then stopped. I wouldn't budge any further. He smirked at me.

"OK, Blood….er, Ness," he said. "Don't you want to talk about it?"

"No," I said, placing my head back on my knees. "I don't."

"Fine, then I'll talk." He sighed. "Nessie," he began, "this isn't easy for me either. I mean this goes against what we've been born to do. You're a _vampire_, for Pete's sake."

"_Half_ a vampire," I corrected him. If I had to listen to this, I wanted him to at least get the facts right.

"OK, _half _a vampire then. Sheesh, Ness, when did you get so touchy about what I _called_ you?"

I raised up then and glared at him. "Oh, right about now, Jake. Sorry I forgot to inform you," I snapped at him. "You know, a girl can only take so much in one night, and you're really pushing my limit. Besides," I laid my head back on my knees, "I can't escape what I am, anymore than you can."

"True."

We sat in silence for a moment. I was hoping that was it, but I knew it wasn't. I guess it was best to get this out now. I listened to the wind whip through the trees, the leaves rustling near my feet. The night was cold, but it didn't seem so bad now that I was sitting next to a furnace.

"Your mom and dad are worried about you," he said.

"Good." I replied. Another moment or two went by before I heard him start to speak again.

"Nessie, I tried to explain all this to you before. In reality, though, I'm not sure about it myself. The imprinting thing…we have no control over it. It just…happens. There's no rhyme or reason. It's just…fate."

I laughed bitterly. "Yeah, Fate's a cruel mistress, isn't she? I mean, she had you fall in love with my _mom_," I groaned at the thought, "and then, when she chose another, Fate decided to be a _real_ wench and had you imprint on her _half-vampire daughter_. I don't know why it's so complicated, Jake. Doesn't that pretty much cover it?" I laughed again. "You lost out on the Grand Prize and you settled for the booby prize? Real nice." I stood up then, needing to walk off the feelings building inside me.

"Hey," he said, crossing over to me in one stride. "I never considered you a 'booby' prize."

"You never should have _considered_ me at _all_!" I screamed at him, my rage boiling now. "What about me, Jake? What am I supposed to do with this information? Just accept it? You were in love with my _mom_, Jake! Most normal people would be repulsed by that, and I'm just supposed to go, 'oh, OK' and move on?"

It was his turn to laugh bitterly, his sounding more like a roar than a laugh. "_Normal_? You want to talk about _normal_? What about us is _normal_, Nessie? I'm a freakin' wolf! My job is to _kill_ vampires! And here I am, freakin' _in love_ with one! "

"You don't _love_ me, Jake," I said. "You're attached to me, is all. Some stupid curse, some trick that _Fate_ is playing with us both." I plopped back down on the wet rock, my burst of rage spent for the moment.

Jake resumed his place at my side. I didn't look at him.

"Nessie, it's not like that. It's the _legacy_ of our kind, I guess you could say. Once we meet the someone we are supposed to be with, that's it. The world stops. Life has meaning. I loved your Mom, Ness, but I don't remember what it was like to _be_ in love with her."

I huffed at that. How would someone _forget_ that? Nevermind, I'd never know what it was like, anyway, _to_ forget it.

"What about the imprintee?" I asked, kicking a stick with my foot. "Don't they get a say?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so. Usually they just accept it, or they imprint back or something. I don't know. I've never questioned it. Once it happens, _no one_ questions it."

"Well, don't you think it's time someone should? I mean, look at poor Claire! She's only ten, and she's been engaged since she was two! Don't you think she should get to make a choice? Doesn't she get to date, or anything?"

He thought about that for a minute. "If she wants to, sure. Quil won't stand in her way. He'll be whatever she wants him to be. A best friend, a big brother, a lover…whatever. He's tied to her, and she to him. It's not a death sentence, Ness. Besides, I thought vamps mated for life, too? Is that really such a foreign concept?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. I don't know. It's all so confusing," I said. My head was spinning too much to really make sense of anything anymore.

"Is that what you want to do, date?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know."

I yawned. Damn human side. I hated having to sleep. It must be late, and I'm sure the exhaustion wasn't helping my mood.

My rage dissipated and was replaced by confusion. I suddenly craved safety and comfort, a port in my personal storm. I knew where to find it.

I rested my head on Jake's shoulder.

Instantly, everything about him flooded my senses. The heat radiating from his body burned into my cold cheek, surging from the contact point throughout the rest of my body. His smell, a spicy mixture of soap and woods, rushed into my nostrils and mixed with the colors swimming in my brain.

His shoulder was broad and strong, which was always a sharp contrast to my petite frame. It felt like home. Two pieces of a puzzle. I sighed contentedly.

We sat quietly for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the forest. I thought about the fact that we'd always just _belonged_ to each other. Jake said no one questioned it. _I_ never questioned it…until now. What changed? I wasn't sure. Maybe it was my impending adulthood. Maybe it was my initial attraction to Connor. Maybe it was as simple as crazy teenage hormones. Who knew?

I guessed this was a conversation that I had been putting off. Jake had previously never pushed, but somewhere along the line, the dynamic changed. Maybe because his dad died? That would start someone to question their lives, certainly. Jake didn't age though. Weren't people affected by death because of their own fear of their mortality? No mortality, no fear, right?

Maybe he was jealous of Connor? If that was true, then what did he mean about Quil not standing in the way for Claire? That would mean the same for him, right? Hmmm.

I took a deep breath to clear my thoughts—which was the wrong thing to do, as his heady scent just confused me further. It pushed rational thought from my brain and replaced it with emotion. I nestled deeper into his shoulder, nudging my nose against his neck. He was so warm it was almost unbearable, yet still cozy. Suddenly, I couldn't get enough.

I felt him shift on the rock, heard a rumble deep in his chest.

"Nessie," he said softly.

"Hmm?" I asked dreamily.

"Nessie, look at me."

I slowly raised my head and met his gaze. Two deep pools of dark chocolate stared back at me. His eyes were burning with a fire I hadn't seen before. I was spellbound by its intensity, captivated by the increase in heat flowing between us. I felt his breath on my face, his nose inches from mine.

The look on his face awoke something within me. A stirring began deep inside that I wasn't used to and couldn't quite recognize in my dazed state. Instinctively, my lips parted slightly as I exhaled. Apparently, that was enough invitation for him.

He bent his head down and lightly touched my lips with his own. It was the softest of kisses, one to test my reaction. He pulled back slightly to look at me. Something inside me groaned at the distance that was created.

I wanted more.

I wanted _him_.

_My Jacob_.

I tangled my right hand into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him back to me.

He started softly again. At my whispered moan, however, the pressure quickly intensified. His lips began to move against mine in earnest, my lips meeting his rhythm. I leaned my body up against his, nestling against his broad frame. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. My fingers tangled deeper into his hair, pressing him further against me.

Finally, he broke the kiss with a wild gasp. We were both panting. Apparently, we'd forgotten to breathe…or maybe that was just me.

"Ness…"

"Shh…" I said, pulling him to me again.


End file.
